Nominated just this week for the Academy of Country Music’s Entertainer of the Year, Jason Aldean rolls into town Saturday night to party.
Aldean’s “My Kinda Party” tour will rock McKenzie Arena with opening acts Eric Church and the Jane-Dear Girls.
That the show has sold out should come as no surprise when you consider these are three of country music’s hottest acts. They have five ACM nominations among them, each with a single currently in Billboard’s Top 20 and Aldean’s video notched at No. 2 on CMT’s Countdown.
“This show is completely different from anything we’ve done before,” Aldean said in a phone interview from Little Rock, Ark., where the 30-city tour launched.
“We’ve got so much production on this show, it’s incredible. We wanted to make sure that it’s visually cool and that it sounds good. We’ve got a couple of surprises between acts, because we want the show to be more like an event than a concert,” said the singer.
Through four CDs, Aldean’s music has stayed true to a hard-driving sound and lyrics that pay homage to small-town Southern life. Yet he consistently surprises fans by pushing the limits on his distinctive style of country.
On his latest CD, “My Kinda Party,” he raps verses on “Dirt Road Anthem,” which will be his next single. For his first duet, “Don’t You Wanna Stay,” he handpicked pop star Kelly Clarkson instead of a more mainstream country singer because the latter was “a predictable route,” he explained.
“In my opinion, Kelly is hands-down the best female singer out there now. She’s got such a unique voice, and I’ve always been a fan of what she does. She was my first choice to go after, but I didn’t know her at all. The first time we met was the first time she came in to record,” Aldean said.
Was he worried that two singers – each with big voices that have such distinctive sounds – could gel?
“That’s something you worry about because sometimes, no matter what you try, voices just don’t blend. But as soon as she started singing over my part, it was perfect. It sounded amazing, and we knew we were going to end up with something pretty cool. It put all those fears to rest.”
In fact, Aldean could see no one else covering Clarkson’s part when the Party tour hit the road. So he had her videotape her half and she’ll sing on-screen with him in McKenzie Arena on Saturday night.
IF YOU GO
* What: Jason Aldean’s My Kinda Party Tour.
* When: 7:30 p.m. Saturday.
* Where: McKenzie Arena, Fourth and Mabel streets.
* Admission: Sold out.
* Phone: 266-MOCS.
OPENING ACTS
The JaneDear Girls
* New duo of Danelle Leverett and Susie Brown
* Debut album was released Tuesday
* John Rich is their producer
* Two Academy of Country Music nominations: Top Vocal Duo of the Year, Top New Vocal Duo
* Current single: “Wildflower,” No. 17 on Billboard’s Hot Country Chart
Eric Church
* North Carolina native
* Academy of Country Music nomination: Top New Solo Vocalist of the Year
* Current Single: “Smoke a Little Smoke,” No. 16 on Billboard’s Hot Country Chart
* Other hits: “How ‘Bout You,” “Two Pink Lines,” “Love Your Love the Most” and “Guys Like Me”